Teach Soap

OK, I hate lavender. There. I said it. But it sells like mad, so I make it.

PART of what I hate is getting a decent color in it. I had a mica I was using from The Conservatorie, worked great, but it takes a lot and it is pretty much the most expensive product they have.

So this time, I tried a "Neon Purple" powder dye from NG. I have used a lot of colors from the "Neon" line. If you use them lightly, they aren't even neon They are stable and lovely and not too much $$.

Well, this was a regular recipe, reg temps...and the purple powder made my soap a vivid orangey-brick red. Bizarre...so I stand there stirring, and I think to myself..well, it's reddish...and red+blue make purple, right? So I added some blue colorant. And then it turned the most horrible muddy gray/brown I have ever seen. OK, this batch is a tosser, so I figure...hmmm. there is a little tiny bit of that purple mica left, maybe I can tinge this awful color at least a little in the lavender/purple direction. So I add what I have left of that ...not much help, but maybe a little.

I go ahead and pour and insulate...but feeling awful, because that is about 13 pounds of soap that is going to smell great and be super ugly. Mainly to try to disguise it, I sprinkle a bit of white sparkly mica on top of the loaves to decorate. Like putting a ribbon on a pile of poop.

The soap gelled normally, but looks a lot darker than normal as it is cooling. My hubby kindly and helpfully suggests that a good name will save it. He offers "Midnight Lavender". OK...I appreciate the moral support, so I try to shrug it off and look for the bright side.

Speaking of bright...the next morning, the soap is cool, and is BRIGHT purple. The white mica I sprinkled on top is now bright baby pink!

What???

Also not a fan of lavender! But also a big seller here. I use alkanet, but instead of coloring the whole thing, I just do a swirl. That way, if the alkanet doesn't behave, it can still be pretty!

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Lesli Sagan
Avital's Apiaries
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Some colors start out different and once gelled turn to the color they are suppose to. For example, FD&C Blue #1 starts blue, turn peach in CP soap. Once gelled it turn lavender to purple, depending how much color you use. It's a good idea to make a small batch first to see how the color comes out. Keep good notes. I find having a small jeweler's scale to weigh tiny amounts help.

PS. If you use an olive oil with a green tinge, that will affect the final color too.

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Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

If you were going for Purple color have you considered Alkanet powder. I was going for pinkish with mine and added too much Alkanet and got a very lovely dark purple.

I am just going to go back to my lovely, consistent mica from the Conservatorie. I have never used alkaneet, haven't had much luck with any of the natural colors. For example, pink clay is never pink...I have bought it from 4 diff sources, and it is always a brick red.

But I love my micas, and I have learned my lesson! lol